So they kept on, although somewhat against Captain Jerry’s better judgment.  The old sailor was watching the clouds.  Presently there came an extra heavy puff of wind, and then the clouds seemed to rush up with lightning-like rapidity.

“Got to go back, now,” said the sailor.  “Going to have a big blow afore night.”  And he threw over the tiller and gave the necessary commands to change the sails.

“By Jove, but those clouds are coming up fast!” exclaimed Dick, after a careful survey.  “I ever saw them come up like that on the Atlantic, or on the Great Lakes.”

“It’s unusual,” replied Captain Jerry, with a shake of his head.  “Never seen it afore myself.  The wind is coming around, too.  It’s goin’ to be a different storm from what we generally git around these waters.”

The black clouds soon obscured the sun, and the wind began to blow stronger than ever, sending the whitecaps rolling over the ocean, and causing the spray to fly over the deck of the yacht.  Nellie clutched Tom by the arm.

“Oh, Tom, what does this mean?” she asked in a trembling voice.

“It means that we are going to have a storm, that’s all,” he answered as lightly as he could.

“But—­but will it hurt us?” came from Grace.

“I don’t think so,” put in Sam.  “But we may get wet, unless we go into the cabin.”

“I vote the girls all go into the cabin,” said Dick.  “Sam can go with them if he wants to.  Tom, you and I can stay on deck to look after the sails.”

“I’m going to do my duty on deck, too,” came from Sam promptly.

Another rush of wind now sent the spray flying in all directions, and to keep from being drenched the girls retired to the tiny cabin, or, rather, cuddy, of which the Old Glory boasted.

“I am sure it is going to be an awful storm,” said Dora.  “I wish we were safe on land once more.”

“Oh, dear! do you think we’ll go to the bottom?” asked Nellie.

“The boys won’t let the yacht go down,” answered Dora.  “They are all good sailors, and Captain Jerry must know all about handling this craft.  But we may have a very bad time of it before we get back to Santa Barbara.”

It was dark in the cabin, but the yacht pitched and plunged so violently that they were afraid to light the lantern.  So they huddled together, each holding another’s hand.

On deck Captain Jerry gave orders to lower the topsail and haul in the jib.  Several reefs were also taken in the mainsail, and the boys stood ready to bring down the rest of the sheet with a rush at the first word from the old sailor.

“It’s a re-markable storm—­re-markable,” said Captain Jerry, chewing vigorously on the quid of tobacco in his cheek.  “Aint never seen no sech storm here afore.  Puts me in mind o’ a blow I stood out in onct off the coast o’ Alaska when I was in a whaler.  Thet storm caught us same time as this an’ ripped our mast out in a jiffy and drowned two o’ the sailors.”